The Historic District

Absolutely, Revival. I don't know how people can sleep at night who DON'T monitor things like that, ha ha. Getting it done right can cost some big bucks. No choice up here; you must have things enclosed. There are a lot of places that have been damaged by improper design, unfortunately. Looking at t...

Sealed crawlspaces in the Southeast are not a good thing. The humidity makes it an environment that enables wood rot and mold growth. I've been in several houses in the South that have had significant structural damage in the main sills, support beams and joists, and they all had one thing in commo...

Yes, that's what I'd do, Manalto. We are much much farther north. How low does it go in winter for you? Gothic is in Ontario, I am in Maine. Winter can give me -30 degrees F. No open crawlspaces for us up here!! We tend to install a membrane and seal them. But you may be able to absorb the cost of h...

Honestly, the deal is....Vent. OR, Seal. In other words...100% vented, like you see with a home on pillars. Or seal it completely. That means an impermeable vapor barrier (rubber, fairly pricey) that's affixed to the foundation (brick, cement, etc.) nearly air-tight. Nothing else will do (as Gothic ...

Since you said this is a successful, active roofing company, I am willing to bet they come in with "wow, very surprising! Let's take a look!" and treat you fairly. I own a small painting company...this is how I would deal with a 'complaint' (I have never had any, tho I have had requests to...

great to hear about your progress! are you weather stripping and/or do you have storm windows? thanks for the link--reminds me of my dad in his work apron... ....jade No weather stripping or storm windows. Unfortunately I’m assuming we will have more drafts this year with more sashes freed up inste...

I'm of the opinion that it is the roofer's job to stop any leaks. If there are leaks after they finish, the roofers are responsible and you shouldn't have to pay one penny more to fix it. ONLY in the section they repaired. If one cannot afford to replace an entire roof, the old portion isn't their ...

Yep. Sometimes you can find it coming from chimneys or brick fronts not long after their construction. Once you know to look for it, you'll see it all over...on brickwork mostly. It is a big part of the 'why' for 'masonry sealer'. No worry in a stone basement. If concrete, one may seal it as it's un...

Gibson, I thought maybe fluorescence as well but had never seen it in blue, really I was not aware that it came in colours. All I have ever seen is the whiteish grey. Yeah, Gothic - generally, it is white/grey. But I've seen a FEW cases of a bluish, or green 'hue' in it. I think it's just leached o...

Congratulations, not mold! I think everyone goes thru that phase, worrying about damp and wood and basements etc. Mold won't grow on stones - it likes wood, however. It IS probably from dampness, tho that is usually not a problem. That appears to be a mineral leachate coming from the stone, called '...